Delaware officials to present MLK resolution at annual breakfast

With Martin Luther King Jr. Day scheduled to be celebrated throughout the country on Monday, Jan. 15, Delaware City Council on Jan. 8 passed a resolution not only honoring King’s life, but also encouraging residents to uphold the values that make America great and to work toward a more peaceful and unified society.

“This day should also be seen as a day to reaffirm the American ideals of freedom, justice and opportunity for all; as a day for love, not hate; for understanding, not anger; for peace, not war,” the resolution states.

In addition, the resolution asks people of all races, religions, and classes to “put aside their differences and join in a spirit of togetherness.”

Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle said the resolution will be presented by city officials during the 25th annual MLK Breakfast Celebration to be held Jan. 15 in the Benes Room of Ohio Wesleyan’s Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware.

Breakfast will be served at 7:45 a.m. with a program featuring guest speaker Bishop Lawrence Reddick III of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church to follow at 8:30 a.m.

The deadline to purchase tickets to the event has passed, but organizers have stated a limited number of tickets may be available at the door.

Road designation approved

In order to establish a 35 mph speed limit for the section of Peachblow Road annexed into the city in January 2015, council passed on first reading an ordinance designating the road as a through street.

Located in the city’s southeastern quadrant, the section of Peachblow Road in question begins at Glenn Parkway and runs approximately three-tenths of a mile east to the entrance of the Belmont Place subdivision, said Community Affairs Coordinator Lee Yoakum.

While the posted speed limit on the section of Peachblow Road within the city will now be 35 mph, the speed limit on the remainder of the road will remain 55 mph, Yoakum added.

According to a city fact sheet, the cost associated with the change in the speed limit is approximately $50 for the materials and manpower required to install new signs.

Other business

Council passed a resolution allowing City Manager R. Thomas Homan to enter into a contract with the Ohio Department of Transportation for the resurfacing of portions of U.S. Route 42 within city limits between U.S. Route 36 and Horseshoe Road.

While 80 percent of the surface treatment cost related to the project will be covered under ODOT’s Urban Paving Program, the city is responsible for the remaining 20 percent along with 100 percent of the cost of non-surface items such as curbs, gutters, etc.

The estimated total cost to the city for the resurfacing project is $57,970, and the roadway repairs are scheduled to be completed either in the spring or summer.

Following an annual review of the city’s schedule of fees and service charges, council approved an ordinance amending section 197.01 of the city’s codified ordinances as it pertains to the fee schedule.

Changes made to the section include a $10 increase in the cost associated with water and sewer permit processing (increasing from $25 to $35), codification of the $100 per caliper inch tree bank fee, the addition of the cost of a water pit (currently $300) being the responsibility of the property owner if one is required, and the addition of a new section relating to facility rental fees.

A city fact sheet states the fiscal impact of the changes is “minimal” and will allow the city to recoup costs.